Shining Star
by NikkiB1973
Summary: This story is based around the episode called VIRTUOSO which aired in season 6 of Voyager. The Doctor's singing talent catches the notice of the Qomar, but is somebody else aboard Voyager hiding their own talent, Chakotay is about to find out... Set in AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Shining Star**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright do not belong to me although I enjoyed the journey.

_**A/N-this story is based around the episode entitled VIRTUOSO which aired in season 6 of Voyager. I really hope you enjoy this story. I want to give a big THANK YOU to my beta on this story SCIFIROMANCE, who once again gave me loads of encouragement and advice. Thanks honey! Nikki :)**_

**Chapter One**

The doctor finished his rendition of the duet from the opera Don Carlos, Dio, che nell'alma infondere_, _as the last notes drained away the Qomar began clapping enthusiastically. The doctor literally puffed his chest out with pride as he surveyed the room, a superior smile touching his lips as he soaked in the applause. He gave a mock bow.

"Thank you, thank you..." he said loudly, bowing once again, smiling even wider when the Qomar asked for an encore. "Well of course, if you insist."

Captain Janeway turned to whisper into Chakotay's ear as the doctor's voice rang out once again. "He has certainly made an impression now, hasn't he." she said wryly. "They will never think of him as a mere hologram again."

Chakotay moved away from the captain slightly. He rather felt she was invading his personal space. He gave her one of the smiles that he reserved for her when he was trying to be agreeable. He was feeling especially tired as he had just pulled a double duty shift and would rather have been in his quarters resting then being subjected to the Doctors theatrics. Captain Janeway had forced him to come as she was in the middle of diplomatic talks with the Qomar and insisted he accompany her at every opportunity.

"Well Chakotay..." Janeway prompted him again, frowning.

"Sorry, I just got caught up in the Doctor's encore for a moment." he lied quickly. "You are right, he has made a favourable impression with the Qomar, and it will certainly make the talks go a lot smoother."

Janeway regarded him intently for a moment. "Mmm..Let's hope so." she replied eventually, returning her attention back to the Doctor as he began to sing the final chorus.

Chakotay breathed a sigh of relief, he thought that Kathryn was going to call him out on his lie for a moment but luckily she seemed to have fallen for it. He scanned the mess hall with his weary eyes and he caught Seven of Nine looking at him with a hint of amusement in her eyes. She was sitting two rows behind him, but with her enhanced Borg hearing she must have caught his conversation with the Captain. She arched her eyebrow at him and he saw a hint of a smile cross her lips as she returned her attention to the Doctor's performance. He found himself smiling as he faced the front; he knew that Seven had seen right through him.

More enthusiastic applause rang out as the Qomar stood up and gave the Doctor a standing ovation. His smile widened if it was possible and he began to introduce his next act, the jazz band Harry Kim and the Kimtones. Immediately they began to play an instrumental version of _That Old Black Magic, _the Doctor began to belt out the vocals, clicking his fingers in time with the music.

An exhausted Chakotay sank lower in his chair as he gave another heavy sigh. He found his head turning so that he could glance behind him and he once again caught Seven's eye. He saw her try to stifle her amusement as she put a hand over her mouth to hide one of her rare smiles. She, more than anybody aboard Voyager, knew how above himself the Doctor could become when he was the centre of attention. A feeling of boldness came over Chakotay and he found himself winking at Seven as if they were in league with each other, sharing some secret joke. He knew that he had gone too far when he saw red tinge her cheeks. Her smile had faded and she once again assumed the rigid demeanour she always hid behind whenever anyone managed to catch a glimpse of her human side.

Captain Janeway saw Chakotay looking over his shoulder and followed the direction of his gaze. For some inexplicable reason he was staring at Seven of Nine. In fact he seemed to be fixated on her. Kathryn's jealousy flared up. Seven was a beautiful woman after all, many of the male members of the crew had a secret crush on her, Harry Kim was one of them. However she had never seen Chakotay show anything other than polite interest before, but the way he was gazing at Seven now...he had a yearning look in his dark eyes. She could see that Seven was well aware of his attention as she appeared very flushed. Janeway narrowed her eyes, Chakotay was supposed to be focused on the diplomatic negotiations with the Qomar, not being distracted by the former Borg drone.

"Commander," Janeway barked at him, using his title."Is there something amiss? You are facing the wrong way."

Chakotay jumped guiltily. He tore his eyes away from Seven and gave the Captain a rueful smile. "Sorry,"

Kathryn looked back at Seven and she tapped her comm. badge. "Seven, I believe that lieutenant Torres requires some assistance in engineering. As the Doctors performance is drawing to a close I would like you to leave immediately." she stated coldly.

Seven stiffened. Her large blue eyes looked over in the Captain's direction and her cheeks flushed red again as she took in Janeway's triumphant expression. "At once Captain," was all she said as she rose gracefully from her seat and walked quickly out of the mess hall, her back ramrod straight.

Captain Janeway turned her attention back to Chakotay, who had a look of disgust on his face. Loud clapping once again resounded around the mess hall as the Doctor finally finished his performance. The Qomar representatives surrounded him offering their praise and congratulations on a wonderful performance. "Hadn't you better offer yours too?" Chakotay said sarcastically to Janeway.

She flinched at his harsh tone; she knew she had overstepped some invisible boundary with him. "Of course, I was just about to do so." she replied stiffly.

"Of course..." Chakotay echoed her. He stood up from his seat and gestured for her to go first. "After you, Captain..."

Kathryn could still hear the sardonic undertone in his voice. She locked eyes with him briefly before standing herself and leading the way to speak to the Doctor and the Qomar.

XXXXXX

Seven marched down the corridor, her eyes faced straight ahead. No one would ever guess from her posture that she was a bundle of whirling emotions. All she could see in her mind's eye was Chakotay looking at her and the playful wink he had thrown her way. She was mortified that he had caught her subtle smile of amusement at the Doctor's blatant showing off in front of their guests. She had been so sure that no one had been taking any notice of her. Why oh why did the Commander have to turn and look at her at that exact moment, and the Captain...

Seven swallowed nervously as she remembered Captain Janeway's annoyed expression. She must have guessed from Chakotay's obvious staring that she not been behaving in the proper manner. No wonder the Captain had dismissed her so quickly from the mess hall. There was no way that lieutenant Torres needed her help in engineering, B'Elanna had only used that excuse herself so that she could get out of having to listen to the Doctor. Seven had heard her telling Tom Paris about it. She found herself outside of Astrometrics, the gentle swoosh of the doors calmed her as she strode purposefully inside and began to go over the data she had been assessing that morning. This was her haven and she felt safe within the familiar confines of the walls. The large screen in front of her began to show the results of her hard work and she became immersed in the complicated mathematical configurations that began to stream down the screen. All thoughts of Chakotay and the Captain disappeared from her mind as she let her Borg logic take over so she could complete the task without any distractions.

XXXXXX

Chakotay finally escaped from the Captain and the Qomar as she eventually noticed how overtired he was. Tuvok was summoned to take his place and he gratefully left the throng behind. The corridors of Voyager were a welcome peace after all the noise of the gathered crowd. The Qomar were fascinated with the Doctor and his vocal talents. They had persuaded Janeway to allow the doctor to come to their home world and put on a one off performance just for them. The Doctor's ego was becoming increasingly inflated as he held court and lectured the Qomar on the intricacies of his vocal subroutines.

Chakotay had originally intended to head straight for his quarters to catch up on some much needed sleep, but the image of Seven hurrying out of the mess hall after Janeway had dismissed her unnecessarily sprang into his mind. His guilt in the part he had played made him wince. The Captain had been annoyed with his actions, none of it was Seven's doing.

"Computer, locate Seven of Nine..." he said suddenly.

"Seven of Nine is located in Astrometrics..." the computer's bland tone replied promptly.

Chakotay immediately switched direction and headed for Astrometrics, determined to issue an apology to Seven for his out of character behaviour which had resulted in her subsequent dismissal from the Doctor's performance. He tried not to question why he had acted in what could be regarded as a flirtatious manner. He seemed to be letting his guard down a lot around Seven lately. As he finally reached the large doors to the lab he thought he could hear singing. He shook his head wearily. He must be more exhausted then he thought, there was no way that Seven would be listening to music. He still did not enter though as once again he heard the beautiful voice singing. Chakotay pressed his ear to the closed doors and listened intently. The words to the song _My Only Sunshine_ floated through the metal doors. He was captivated by the sound of the melodious voice.

"Computer," He whispered. "Who is singing in Astrometrics?"

"Seven of Nine is singing My Only Sunshine in Astrometrics," came the bland reply.

A smile lit up Chakotay's face as he continued to listen. "You have talents you have been hiding, Seven." he murmured. He was so caught up in the beautiful sound of her voice that he was unaware that she was about to leave the lab. Before he could step back from the doors Seven swept out of Astrometrics, still humming a tune. She collided straight into a startled Chakotay, who just managed to catch her before she fell...

_**A/N-I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks Nikki :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Shining Star**

Disclaimer: none of the characters or copyright belongs to me but I enjoyed the journey.

_**A/N-Thank you so much to everyone who kindly reviewed the last chapter, I really appreciate it. I also want to give another BIG THANK YOU to SCIFIROMANCE who once again kindly betad this chapter for me, I couldn't have posted this without her wonderful input. Thanks honey! Nikki :)**_

**Chapter Two**

Seven stared up into Chakotay's dark eyes as he gazed down at her, an apologetic smile curving his full lips upward. She found herself at a loss for words, her body frozen in place almost as if time had stopped. She felt his warm hands holding her steady as her normally rigid body relaxed under his touch. She felt so unlike herself, almost as if he had her mesmerised in some way.

"Seven, are you alright?" Chakotay was the first to break the tense silence.

"I...yes, Commander. I apologise for bumping into you. I admit I was distracted. My behaviour was inexcusable." Seven said in a rush, she finally managed to right herself and stood straight, stepping back from him slightly. His presence was causing unusual feelings to course through her. She once recalled Ensign Kim talking about 'butterflies in the stomach' when he referred to one of his crushes, she thought that would be an apt description to how she was feeling at that very moment. Seven swallowed nervously, almost afraid that Chakotay could read her mind; she resumed her customary rigid posture, and waited for him to speak.

Chakotay regarded her carefully, a gentle look in his eyes. "It's okay Seven, really if it was anyone's fault it was mine. You were not to know that I was about to enter Astrometrics." He reassured her gently.

Seven felt her face heat up at his words. She already guessed that her pale skin was flushed. She did not seem to be able to control her wayward emotions when he was near. It was a new development for her. She had noticed that he had been spending more time talking to her of late, actually going out of his way to engage her in conversation. He must feel sorry for her. It was well known that the Doctor had been giving her social lessons. It seemed that all her hard work was not paying off, mortification weighed heavily on her as she recalled the incident in the mess hall.

"I thank you for your patience Commander. Did you need to see me?" She asked, looking slightly past him. If she looked him in the eye she wouldn't be able to hold herself together. She hid behind the safety net of her usual Borg coolness.

Chakotay felt at a loss, he had come to see her with the direct intention of apologising for his part in her dismissal by the Captain, but he seemed to have upset her again. He could tell, no matter how much she tried to hide her true feelings behind her efficient mask. Ever so carefully so that he did not startle her, Chakotay reached out and took her hand, the cold metal of her Borg implants that wound around her fingers and across her palm actually calmed him. He saw the look of utter confusion pass across her face as she stared down at their joined hands.

"Commander?" she questioned uncertainly.

"Chakotay, Seven...my friends call me Chakotay..." he ventured.

Now Seven appeared even more confused. "Are you...I mean do you consider me a friend?" She asked in disbelief.

Chakotay nodded slightly in acknowledgment. Seven quirked her eyebrow at him, the metal encasing it glinted under the strip lights of the corridor. "I would very much like to be your friend Comm...Chakotay." she stumbled over his name.

Her stutter sounded so endearing to him that Chakotay couldn't stop the smile lighting up his face, he really felt like he had made a breakthrough with her and this pleased him immensely. He knew now was the right time to apologise. "Seven I want to say sorry for what happened in the mess hall. The situation with the Captain was entirely my fault..."

Seven seemed stunned by his declaration. She studied him carefully trying to read his face, he seemed sincere, although maybe he was just being kind and trying to put her at ease. All her former insecurities once again clouded her good judgement. She nodded at him stiffly. "Thank you, Commander. There really is no need for you to feel beholden to me. If you will excuse me I must report to engineering."

Chakotay felt frustration wash over him at her lack of understanding. She really thought that it was still her behaviour that had caused Janeway to dismiss her. He felt her pull her hand away as she murmured her goodbyes and began to walk away from him, her movements fluid and graceful. Unconsciously Chakotay caught hold of her arm and stopped her in her tracks.

"Seven..." he said impulsively. "The Doctor has been asked to perform for the Qomar at a specially adapted theatre on their home world. I heard you singing, you have a beautiful voice. I think the performance would be something you would enjoy..."

"I am sorry Commander but I think the Captain would disapprove if I neglected my duties to attend a concert. I am sure the Doctor will regale me with how it went..." Seven said hurriedly, anxious to be gone. For some reason her head hurt, her emotions were all over the place and she felt overwhelmed.

"I would like you to accompany me as my date, Seven. The Captain could have no objections if you are my chosen companion for the evening." Chakotay gazed at her pleadingly.

Seven's head was pounding; she had no idea what was happening. Chakotay's proposition was so appealing but what would the rest of the crew think. She did not want to be seen overstepping her bounds and she hated the thought of the Commander pitying her. Almost as if he could read her mind, Chakotay stepped closer to her. "I am asking you because I like your company Seven, there is no other reason. So, will you come?" His voice sounded so sincere.

Unthinkingly Seven nodded her head slightly. A stray lock of her luminous blonde hair escaped her severe hairstyle and Chakotay thought how much it softened her features. He longed to brush it away but restrained himself. He had pushed his luck enough for one day. He released his hold on her and smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Seven." He murmured gently.

Seven finally gave him the smile that he had been waiting for. Her lips pulled up at the corners and for a brief moment she allowed him to see her pleasure at his request for her to be his date. "No, thank you Com...Chakotay..."

"Until tomorrow..." Chakotay said giving her another flash of his smile.

"Until tomorrow..." Seven echoed him as she finally turned and headed down the corridor toward engineering. She lifted her hand to her head and wiped her brow. Whatever was wrong could hopefully be cured by regenerating. It had been a long, stressful day.

XXXXXX

Tom Paris and Harry Kim exchanged puzzled glances as they saw Chakotay enter the mess hall and sit down alone. The man seemed dazed, he was staring into space smiling to himself. Ever curious the two friends rose from the table and walked nonchalantly over to join him.

"Hey Chakotay..." Tom interrupted his reverie. "What has got you all tied up in knots? Or should I say who?" he teased.

Harry Kim laughed. Chakotay shook his head, trying to clear it. All he could see in his mind's eye was Seven agreeing to be his date. "I am just wondering about who you guys will be taking to the Doctors performance tomorrow. Well Tom, "he mused. "It's obvious who your date will be, B'Elanna will sure make some interesting comments about the Doctors inflated ego."

Tom smiled widely at the mention of B'Elanna. It was well known that she was very dismissive of the Doctors so called talents, but then again her taste in music left a lot to be desired, Klingon war chants were not the most soothing music to listen to. However the lady herself more than made up for her lack of musical tastes. A soppy smile crossed his face as he thought about B'Elanna. Chakotay and Harry began laughing in amusement.

"You are so taken, Tom..." Harry chuckled.

"Well what about you?" Tom put the focus on his friend. "Who are you going to take to the concert? The captain has allowed us all to attend."

Harry's mirth disappeared as he shifted nervously in his seat. "I was thinking of asking Seven of Nine..." he mumbled.

Chakotay became rigid in his seat as he regarded Ensign Kim coolly; all humour had left his face. "I have to inform you that Seven already has a date..." he stated abruptly.

Harry's face fell. "Not the Doctor, he is performing. How like him to have Seven at his beck and call..." he sighed.

"No not the Doctor..." Chakotay could not stop the hint of jealousy resonating in his voice. "Seven is my date for the evening. You will need to look elsewhere Ensign..."

Harry stared at Chakotay in shock. Tom too tried to hide his disbelief at this piece of news. He was quicker to recover than Harry. "Well that is great, Chakotay...have you asked her yet?"

"Yes and she has agreed." he stated bluntly.

It was at this point that Neelix interrupted them. The Talaxian placed three steaming bowls of some sort of yellow liquid in front of them. "Would you gentleman be so kind as to sample my new soup?" He enquired cheerfully.

"What's in it, Neelix?" Tom asked dubiously.

"Leola root mixed with..." He was stopped in his tracks as the three men promptly rose from the table.

"Another time, Neelix..."Tom said hurriedly. "I am due back on the bridge."

"Me too..." Chakotay agreed.

"Me as well..."Harry gave Neelix a rueful smile as he followed the others in their escape.

Neelix sighed as he gazed at his latest creation, he knew the smell wasn't that great but if they just tried it...he glanced around the mess hall and his eyes fixated on Tuvok who had just seated himself at a table. "Oh, Commander..." he called out. "May I have a word?"

XXXXXX

"Regeneration Cycle incomplete..." the droll tones of the computer informing Seven about what she already knew increased her frustration. Her head was still aching, she had tried to regenerate in the hope that the pain would subside but it was still there. She did not want to ask the Doctor as he was still caught up with the Qomar. She had left him in engineering with B'Elanna, planning on adjustments to the Qomar's auditorium. Torres' barbed comments seemed lost upon the Doctor as he came up with ever more fantastical ideas for enhancing the theatre to accommodate his unique vocal talents.

Seven leaned against the cool metal of the console. "I will get over this..." she said determinedly. She straightened up and took deep breaths. This action seemed to make the ache lessen. There was so much work to catch up on. Reluctantly she dismissed Chakotay from her mind so that she could concentrate on the worrying patterns she had noticed earlier from the Qomar. She had a suspicion they were trying to infiltrate Voyager's comm. signals. She stared at the incoming messages and immersed herself in the stream of data that began to materialize as her busy fingers began their work.

_**A/N-I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading! Nikki :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Shining Star **

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright do not belong to me although I had fun playing with them.

_**A/N-I would like to give a big THANKYOU to my beta on this story SCIFIROMANCE. Thanks honey, your kind encouragement gave me the confidence to post this chapter! Nikki :)**_

**Chapter Three**

Chakotay stood outside of Captain Janeway's ready room and let out a heavy sigh. In his hand he clutched a padd with the latest shift rota which he had been painstakingly working on since he had left Tom and Harry. It had been hard to move everyone's shifts around to accommodate all the crew members who wanted to attend the Doctors performance. He had done his best to allow as many people time off as possible but he still needed a skeleton crew to keep Voyager ticking over. Kathryn had not thought through her rash promise to allow everyone to attend. There was another reason he was hesitant to enter the room, Chakotay knew that he was going to have to inform her about the fact that he was taking Seven of Nine along to the performance as his date. There was no telling how she would react to that piece of news, not well probably.

Shrugging his shoulders Chakotay finally stepped closer to the doors and with a quiet swoosh they opened automatically for him. He found Kathryn in her usual spot, sitting behind the broad desk which held her computer and other paraphernalia. She was holding the requisite cup of steaming black coffee in her hand as she frowned at a padd she was reading. By the look on her face she was obviously ticked off about something already.

"Great timing, Chakotay," he thought to himself wryly.

The Captain looked up at him and waved the padd she was perusing at him. "This is getting ridiculous..." she said irritably.

Chakotay forced a smile. "What is? "He enquired keeping his tone even.

"The Doctor has given me a list of his requirements that he deems essential to his debut tonight. He feels that he cannot perform without them." She handed the padd to Chakotay who read through the rather long list. His lips curled up into a smile.

"He is joking, surely?" He questioned in amusement.

The Captain raised one eyebrow as she shook her head in the negative. "I assure you he is very serious. I am regretting letting this performance go ahead, in fact if it wasn't for the delicate negotiations going on between us and the Qomar I would cancel the whole thing."

Chakotay put the padd back down on the desk and handed her his own. "The latest duty rota, I have made as many adjustments as I was able, unfortunately though there will be a few disappointed crewmembers."

Kathryn studied it carefully for a few seconds. Her observant eyes already picked out one anomaly. She raised her head and regarded Chakotay intently. "Why is Seven of Nine not on duty during the performance?" She barked at him.

Chakotay stiffened at her abrupt tone. He met her stare and stood taller, readying himself for battle. "Seven will be attending so I rearranged her shift, we have cover..."

The Captain rose from her chair and walked gracefully around the desk until she was standing right in front of him. She stared up at his tall figure suspiciously. "I am no fool Commander," she suddenly reverted to his official title. "What am I missing here? Why would Seven want to attend such an event? I have never known her to attempt to mix before; in fact I know that she finds such things difficult..."

Chakotay felt his anger rising at her attitude toward Seven wanting to attend a simple thing like the Doctors performance, why did she have to sound so suspicious and be so confrontational about it? He matched her stance and looked her squarely in the eye. She wanted him to be blunt, so he would be. "Seven is attending the performance as my date, Kathryn," He deliberately used her first name to throw her off. He saw her eyes narrow in annoyance.

"Your date?" She questioned disbelievingly.

"Yes, my date. I persuaded her to come along I thought it would be something she would enjoy. After all aren't you always encouraging her to socialize more?" Chakotay watched the play of emotions crossing Kathryn's face as she finally dropped her eyes from his and began to pace the floor.

"I am afraid it is impossible Chakotay. You will have to inform Seven that she is needed in Astrometrics. As my second in command you will be expected to chaperone me to the performance." The Captain stopped her pacing and stared at him coolly. She could see that she had irked him by the fire flashing from his dark eyes. She had not seen that look since they first crossed swords when he was a member of the Maquis.

"I am afraid I cannot comply with your request. I am sure Tuvok can take my place at your side." He stated coldly.

Kathryn knew that Tuvok would be a perfect choice to accompany her, but an irrational part of her refused to back down over this issue. "It was not a request Chakotay, it was an order." She told him defiantly.

Chakotay stared at her, incomprehension showing all over his face. Why was she doing this? He needed to leave before he said something he would regret. "If you will excuse me, Captain..." he said sarcastically as he exited the room, the doors barely opening before he was through them.

Kathryn Janeway leaned back against the desk and ran a hand across her brow. She hated the confrontation she just had with him but she was looking out for both his and Seven's best interests. He had obviously asked the former Borg to go with him out of some sort of misplaced pity. It would hardly do either of them any good if Seven took his invitation to be more than just politeness. Chakotay could be very courteous but he sometimes did not see the bigger picture. She knew Seven much better than he did. The former Borg had come a long way in her pursuit of regaining her humanity but could still be very naive in the way men and women interacted with each other. The Captain felt much better after she sorted through her reasoning, as always she thought she was in the right.

XXXXXX

Seven's head was pounding. She approached sickbay cautiously. The Doctor was practising his vocals for that night's performance. She hardly wanted to disturb him but she was desperate to get him to check her over, the pain was interfering with her ability to work to her full capacity, the one thing that Seven could not condone was failure to complete her duties. The Doctor was so immersed in his voice exercises that he did not hear her enter. Seven actually allowed herself a small smile as she watched him give a bow to an invisible audience.

"Thank you, thank you. You have been a great audience tonight. I will be signing autographs out in the lobby in due course." He said rather pompously. He whirled around and jumped when he saw Seven standing near the doors to sickbay. He tried to appear nonchalant but failed badly. "Just going through my lines." he muttered hastily. "How can I help you Seven?"

Seven felt another jar of pain shoot through her head. She winced but managed to control her outward composure. "I was just wondering if you had time to give me my weekly medical check." She asked quickly, keeping her voice as steady as she could as nausea began to overwhelm her.

The Doctor knew Seven very well, he could see by her pale face and dilated pupils that there was something very much amiss. It was rare for her to seek him out for her medical checks; she always did her best to avoid them until absolutely necessary. He was just about to speak when the Captain's raspy voice boomed through the comm. system. "Doctor, report to my ready room immediately."

The Doctor exchanged a wry glance with Seven. "I will be back as soon as I can. Will you wait for me here?"

Seven shook her head; her work load was building up while she was standing here. If she wanted to be up to date to attend the performance she needed to get started. She stood straight and gave him a nod. "It is not urgent Doctor. We can discuss this at a more convenient hour."

"Seven, hopefully I will not be delayed too long, just..."

"Doctor, are you on your way? We are all waiting on you..."The Captains irritated voice interrupted their conversation once again. "Tincoo is here to go through the details of tonight's performance."

"On my way Captain..."The Doctor gave Seven an apologetic smile as he hastily exited sickbay.

As soon as he was gone, Seven let go of her rigid posture and slumped against one of the beds. She used both hands to steady herself as another wave of nausea over took her. Why was this happening? One of her implants must be malfunctioning. She was so looking forward to tonight and did not want to cancel after Chakotay had so kindly asked her to accompany him. Taking a deep breath, Seven managed to stand up, wilfully forcing her body to move forward. She took a few tentative steps and found that she was feeling slightly steadier. Pulling her shoulders back she strode from sickbay, determined not to let anyone see how she was suffering.

XXXXXX

Chakotay was livid. He was still trying to get his head around what had happened between him and Janeway earlier. She had placed him in an impossible situation by issuing the order that he accompany her in an official capacity. He walked slowly down the corridor toward Astrometrics going over in his mind the best course of action to take. There was no way that he was going to let Seven down by cancelling the date. Surely there had to be a way to fulfil his duty toward Kathryn and still take Seven along with him. He pondered over the various options as he finally reached the double doors that led into Seven's domain. He found that he had a smile on his lips as he thought about seeing Seven again.

"I feel like a teenager..." Chakotay mumbled to himself in amusement as the doors opened on cue and he strode into the large airy room. "Seven," he called out as he scanned around searching for her lithe figure.

The console was flashing and the large screen which took up most of the space along one wall was showing the Qomar's homeworld, long lists of incomprehensible numbers ran down in a stream as he stared at it in fascination. Seven was a remarkable woman to be able to interpret all this information. Chakotay found it odd that she was not at her post; it seemed that she had been disturbed half way through her work. He walked further into the room passing her console and that is when he saw her. Seven was lying supine along the floor, her lovely blonde hair spilling around her.

Chakotay felt a sickening panic run through him; he knelt down beside her and touched her cheek. It was deathly cold and her pallor was chalk white. His hand fumbled for his as he hastily called for assistance. "I have a medical emergency, Seven of Nine has collapsed. I need the Doctor here now..."

_**A/N-Thanks for reading! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Shining Star**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to their respective owners. I am just having fun with the characters.

_**A/N-I would like to say a big thank you to SCIFIROMANCE who betad this chapter for me. I was rather nervous about posting this update but her awesome encouragement really made all the difference, thanks honey!**_

**Part Four**

Chakotay carried Seven into sickbay, he had refused to let anyone else pick her up as they were beamed directly to the room. An alarmed Doctor had confirmed he was on his way when he heard the Commander's desperate call for assistance come through the comm. system. Chakotay gently lay Seven down on one of the bio-beds, making sure that she was placed in a comfortable position. He hovered over her anxiously, gazing down at her pale face and blood red lips which were slightly parted as she drew in shallow breaths. He found himself reaching out to smooth her shiny blonde hair away from her brow, his hand came into contact with the metal encasing one eyebrow and to his dismay he felt a burning sensation coming from the metal. A small groan escaped Seven as her eyelids began to flutter as she slowly regained consciousness.

It was at this point that the Doctor, followed closely by a harassed looking Janeway burst through the entrance to sickbay, the automated doors barely opening in time before they were through. When the Captain saw Seven lying rigid on the bed she let out a shocked gasp.

"What happened?" She demanded, glaring at Chakotay as if Seven's present condition was all his fault.

He did not even notice her harsh tone, instead he completely ignored her and focused all his attention on the Doctor. "I found her collapsed in Astrometrics, I brought her straight here. What could be wrong? She was unconscious but seems to be coming around now..." he informed the Doctor quickly.

The Doctor walked over to Seven and began immediately examining her, his ever present tri-corder held firmly in hand as he ran it over her body. He was finding it hard to keep his own emotions in check as he gazed down at her limp form. It took all his professional medical training to keep his expression impassive. Her eyelids were still fluttering but had not completely opened and her breathing was becoming increasingly rapid.

The Captain watched the EMH and Chakotay standing either side of the bed with the fallen woman between them. There was no room for her to join them. She stood uncertainly to one side as the Doctor continued his examination, his expression becoming grimmer with each passing second. In the end Janeway could not take the tense silence any longer.

"Well, Doctor what do you think is wrong?" She asked.

Chakotay flinched at her intrusive tone and had to grit his teeth to stop himself issuing a retort. Instead he took hold of Seven's hand in his own, hoping that she could feel his fingers clasping hers so that she would know that he was there for her. The Doctor finally finished his examination and turned to Janeway.

"It's not good...It appears that one of her implants is failing. At this point I am not sure which one." He said sadly. "I need to do more extensive tests, I could use Tom Paris' assistance."

The Captain nodded, she felt numb. How could this be happening? Guilt washed over her as she recalled her earlier meeting with Chakotay when she had demanded to know why Seven would not be working while the rest of them attended the Doctor's concert. How could she have been so dismissive of Seven's feelings? She finally found her voice. "Yes of course Doctor, under the circumstances I will be cancelling tonight's performance.."

The Doctor agreed at once. "If you don't mind Captain I need to get to work at once..."

Janeway let out a heavy sigh. "Keep me posted?"

"Of course..." the Doctor turned his attention back to Seven. He asked Chakotay to let go of her hand as he needed some space. The latter reluctantly complied, loathe to let go of his only contact.

Janeway strode over and stood next to her second In command. She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Come on Chakotay, there is nothing you can do here."

Chakotay gave her a distraught look. "I want to stay..." was all he said.

The Captain looked over toward Seven, the former Borg had sunk back into unconsciousness. The Doctor was inputting data into the computer, whilst running a continuous scan of Seven's implants. He needed to narrow down which one was the cause of Seven's present condition.

Janeway patted Chakotay on the arm. "Okay you can remain here for now..."

Chakotay just nodded absently as he returned to Seven's side, taking her limp hand in his own again while the Doctor was distracted. It was now clear to Kathryn that she had been wrong about how deep his feelings for Seven ran. Her earlier assumption that he had asked Seven to the concert out of misplaced courtesy was wrong. Chakotay was acting like a man in love, desperate to stay by the side of the woman he cared for.

"I am sorry, Chakotay..." Kathryn whispered, wiping a tear away from her eye as she finally left sickbay.

XXXXXXX

Chakotay stood outside the doors of sickbay, wet running down his cheeks. It had been two hours since Seven had collapsed and the Doctor was still no nearer to finding the cause. His panic had increased with each passing moment and he had to step outside for a while to regain his composure. Tom had given him a sympathetic glance as he left the room. Chakotay leaned his head back against the cool metal of Voyagers walls and closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he had offered up a prayer to his ancestors, but he found himself doing that now, begging to let Seven survive her ordeal.

The doors to sickbay swooshed open and Tom emerged, a tired look on his face. "She's woken up, I thought you would want to come and be with her..." He suggested gently. He politely ignored the wetness coating Chakotay's cheeks.

"Thanks...has the Doctor found anything yet?" Chakotay questioned.

Tom hesitated briefly before deciding to just tell the Commander the truth. "Yes, it seems that Seven's cortical node malfunctioned...she must have been in pain for a good couple of days. It's a pity she didn't seek assistance earlier, maybe it would not have come to this stage..."

Chakotay frowned. "Cortical node? What the hell does that do?"

"It seems that the Borg in their infinite wisdom placed a node, well call it more like an emotional failsafe, into each of the assimilated drones. It stops them being overwhelmed by emotions, to keep them focused on doing their job and thinking as one." Tom did his best to explain but felt he was doing a bad job of it. He was only repeating the easy part of the Doctors complicated explanation.

"So Seven was overwhelmed by her emotions and this failsafe was basically interfering with this and caused her to shut down..." Chakotay surmised in horror. His hatred of the Borg increased, they were barbaric.

"That's about it..." Tom agreed.

"Can the Doctor remove it?" Chakotay asked.

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure...he needs to do some further investigation."

Chakotay swallowed the bile in his throat, he was getting desperate to go in and see Seven. He thanked Tom and swiftly entered sickbay. His eyes immediately strayed to the beautiful woman lying on the bed. To his relief he saw her vivid blue eyes open and she seemed lucid. Her face was still pale however and when she answered the Doctors questions, her voice sounded weak. He approached the bed cautiously.

"Hey Seven, how are you?" He asked awkwardly.

The Doctor gave him a severe look as he passed him. "The patient needs her rest, don't keep her too long..." he warned.

"Yeah..." Chakotay murmured. He reached the bed and instinctively reached for Seven's hand. He saw her glance up at him in surprise.

"Commander?" She said wearily.

Chakotay rubbed his thumb over her smooth palm as he gave her a smile. "Chakotay, Seven...call me Chakotay..."

Seven blinked rapidly, her heart stuttering painfully in her chest, her head was still aching and she felt utterly exhausted. She felt embarrassed to be seen in such a state by her commanding officer, even if he had asked her on a date out of some misplaced kindness. "I am sorry to have been the cause of so much upset. The Doctor has had to cancel his performance because of me..."

Chakotay smiled at her affectionately. It was so like Seven to feel unnecessary guilt over such a thing. "That is not important Seven, as I am sure the Doctor has already told you. All we are concerned with is getting you better. You gave me quite a scare." His voice lowered as he said the last part.

Seven stared up into his soulful dark eyes, worry and empathy were shining clearly from the dark pools and there was another emotion she couldn't quite place emanating from them. She gave him a tired smile and allowed her body to relax. "Thank you for being there for me, Chakotay..." she said simply.

"Your welcome..." he whispered in response. He leaned his head closer to hers and added. "I would always like to be there for you, if you let me..."

Seven's lips trembled as her emotions took hold of her once again. Happiness at his words surged through her body and she struggled to respond, desperate to tell him how she felt. Once again her head was split apart by an unimaginable pain as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body began to jerk. Chakotay cried out in alarm as the Doctor and Tom Paris hurried back to Seven's side, pushing Chakotay to one side.

All he could do was watch in despair as the two of them began a desperate fight to save her life...

_**A/N-I am sorry to leave yet another cliffie. I promise to update faster this time as I am already working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading, Nikki **_


	5. Chapter 5

**Shining Star**

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to their respective owners. I am just having fun playing with them.

_**A/N-I would like to give a big thank you to my beta on this chapter SCIFIROMANCE, her wonderful advice and reassurances gave me the courage to post the update. Thanks honey! Nikki :)**_

**Part Five**

"Annika...Annika, you need to wake up sweetheart," The little girl's eyes fluttered open as her mothers anxious face came into view. She sat up abruptly, her long, silky hair falling around her thin shoulders. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them.

"Mommy, is something wrong?" She asked, her voice quavering as she picked up on her mothers panic.

Erin Hansen reached out for her daughter and picked her up in her arms; hugging her to her chest. Annika slipped her arms around her mother's neck and gripped her tightly. She felt her mother rub soothing circles on her back.

"Don't be alarmed Annika, we just have a situation and need to be on full alert. I need you to get dressed and be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Can you do that?" Erin asked her, a small quaver showing in her voice.

Annika nodded her head slowly as her mother put her back down and glanced nervously out into the corridor. She could hear her father's panicky voice calling out for Erin to come and assist him.

"Please Annika, get ready," Erin said quickly as she backed toward the door keeping her eyes fixated on her little girl.

"Yes, mommy," Annika's whole body shook with fear as the emergency alarms were tripped; blaring throughout the ship. Annika's hands flew up to her ears as she tried to shield them from the loud noise. Tears sprouted out of her eyes as she stood rooted to the spot. Her mothers pleas to get dressed flying out of her head.

It was the last time that Annika ever got to hug her mother.

XXXXXX

Seven's vivid blue eyes shot open, the large orbs glancing from side to side. She expected to see the cream walls of her childhood room, but instead was greeted with the cool metal of sickbay. She stared up at the ceiling, the overhead lights blinding her momentarily. She heard heavy breathing; as if someone was fighting to take in air. She raised her hand and brushed her trembling fingers across her cheek. As she touched her skin she felt wetness running down her face. That was when it hit her. She was crying and it was her who was fighting to breathe.

Pain shot through her skull when this realisation struck her and her eyes rolled back in her head as her body jerked. From far away Seven heard the desperate cry of Chakotay begging her to stay strong. She felt the Doctor's cool hands touching her brow briefly and then Tom Paris' shocked voice asking the EMH what they should do now. Her body jerked violently once more as she was thrust back into unconsciousness.

XXXXXX

"Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One," a soft female voice whispered to the regenerating drone.

Seven of Nine immediately ended her regeneration cycle and stepped out of her alcove. Her bright blue eye; the only sign left of her human self faced forward as she marched in slow, deliberate steps toward her destination. She had been summoned and had no hesitation in obeying. The green glow of the interior lights of the Borg cube swept across the other drones as they passed her in perfect co-ordination. They neither acknowledged or made any move to greet her as they each went about their designated tasks, just like the perfect robots they had been programmed to be.

Seven approached the thick, grey steel doors and opened up a control panel by their side. Her quick fingers fluidly keyed in the correct code and the doors swooshed open to reveal a cavernous chamber, lit by the same green glow that flooded the corridors. This was the temporary home of the Borg queen. She was travelling to each cube in turn to meet each of the newly assimilated young drones, fresh from their maturation chambers. Seven of Nine had shown exceptional qualities and the queen was intrigued to assess her newest recruit face to face.

"Come here Seven of Nine," the queens gentle voice propelled Seven forward, her legs automatically striding into the habitual walk of the drones; her back ramrod straight.

Seven drew to a halt in front of the queen, her eyes dull as she stared sightlessly straight ahead. The Borg queen gave her a gentle smile as she strolled around her, nodding her head as she studied the implants that had been embedded into Seven's once soft skin. The shiny metal of her optical implant glinted in the dull green glow as the queen finally stopped pacing and stared straight into Seven's one remaining good eye. "You are perfection, Seven of Nine. I believe you will be capable of great things. The work you have already done is impeccable."

Seven nodded stiffly at the queens assessment of her, showing neither pleasure or pain at her words. The queen reached out and touched Seven's cheek gently before stepping back and giving her another gentle smile. "Continue as you were, Seven. I will be watching you closely."

Seven gave another nod and swiftly turned on her heel and strode purposefully out of the chamber. The doors closed behind her as she rejoined the collective; her thoughts at one with theirs, all joined together seeking perfection.

The young girl called Annika Hansen buried deep within a body encased in metal...

XXXXXX

This time when her eyes shot open Seven felt an explosion of pain rip through her whole body. "Help me..." she cried out.

As if from a distance she heard the Doctor firing instructions at a panicked Tom as he desperately tried to stabilise her heart. One by one her implants went into lock down as the emotional failsafe malfunctioned and began to drain Seven of her life force. Her head lolled to the side and she saw Chakotay standing behind the Doctor and Tom Paris as they worked on her. "Help me," she mouthed to him, her vocal chords refused to allow speech.

Chakotay swam in and out of her vision as she saw him approach the bio-bed. He ignored the Doctors protests as he grasped hold of Seven's limp hand and placed it against his cheek. Seven tried to keep her eyes focused on him; her body was riddled with pain and she battled the exhaustion which was threatening to draw her back into the darkness.

"Commander..." she gasped out. "It hurts."

"I know, Seven. I know." Chakotay tried his best to keep the fear out of his voice. "You need to keep fighting, Seven, please."

"Chakotay you need to stand aside," The Doctor's voice was an unwelcome interruption.

Seven began to tremble violently as Chakotay began to back away from her. "No..." she whispered. "Stay,"

Chakotay immediately returned to her side and turned pleading eyes onto the Doctor. "Please Doctor, she wants me here and...I need to be. I promise to not get in your way, just let me hold her hand."

"It seems to be keeping her calm," Tom Paris' voice came from the end of the bed. Seven could not see him from her position.

She heard the Doctor give a resigned sigh. "As you wish."

"Thank you," Chakotay said gratefully as he turned his dark eyes onto Seven, his hand holding tightly to hers as if he could infuse some of his strength into her fragile body.

This time when Seven slipped into unconsciousness she had something to hold onto.

XXXXXX

Seven was in Astrometrics, her fingers busily working at the control panel as she examined the stream of data that poured forth on the large screen. The Qomar were blocking up Voyagers data stream with irrelevant messages to the Doctor. It seemed that he had quite the fan base. Her mind wandered back to the time that the EMH had taught her to sing. After several false starts, Seven had managed to complete a perfect rendition of an old song, 'My Only Sunshine.'

Unconsciously, without being aware that she was doing so, Seven began to sing the words to herself as she strode gracefully around the room. Her hands continued on with their work, but one foot began to tap on the floor in time with the tune that was playing in her head.

"Sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey..." Her beautiful voice floated around the cavernous walls of Astrometrics as she sang each line; her pitch perfect.

To her surprise she heard another voice join hers, it was that of a young girl. Seven spun around expecting to see Naomi Wildman, but to her disbelief she saw her six year old self; long blonde hair sweeping down to her waist as she hummed along with the tune. She watched as the young version of herself held out her hand, waiting for Seven to take it.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, as she stared at the young Annika.

Annika smiled and giggled playfully. "I have come to take you home."

"Take me home?" Seven repeated the words. She felt Annika wind her small fingers with hers and she tugged slightly as she led her toward the bay doors. Seven did not protest, instinctively following the young girl.

The doors swooshed open automatically upon their approach and Seven was blinded as a bright light beamed in. She shut her eyes to block out the intense light as Annika tugged on her hand one last time and took her back home.

XXXXXX

Seven opened her eyes tiredly. The bright lights of sickbay had been dimmed and as she turned her head she saw the relieved smiles of the Doctor, Tom Paris and Chakotay. It was the latter's face she focused on as she realised he was still clutching onto her hand. Her throat felt sore as she opened her mouth to speak. "What happened?"

The Doctor stepped forward and patted her shoulder gently. "You gave us all a scare Seven. The emotional fail safe that the Borg had implanted malfunctioned. This in turn caused your other implants to fail, initiating a full on heart attack." He advised her.

Seven felt nausea sweep through her at his words. The Doctor waited a moment for her to collect herself before continuing. "We had to shock your heart several times, Seven. Tom kept doing so while I operated on you to remove the fail safe. At one point your heart stopped, technically you died for two minutes. Luckily I managed to finish the procedure and we got your heart working again."

"I died," Seven murmured, her body shuddered at the thought of how close she had come to not waking up ever again. She felt Chakotay massage her hand with his warm fingers, his touch eased her fears.

"It's alright now, Seven. The Doctor assures us that with proper rest and careful monitoring you will recover." Chakotay said huskily. He was still trying to process everything that had happened. He knew that the full import of the near tragedy would hit him later. For the moment he focused all his attention on the fragile woman lying on the bed and looking up at him with fearful eyes.

"So I am going to function as well as before?" Seven queried fretfully.

The Doctor smiled at her question. "I would say even better than before."

Seven's eyes flicked to Chakotay and her body relaxed as she saw him nod his head in agreement with the Doctors words. "Thank you," she said simply, too overwhelmed and exhausted to voice her gratitude in the correct manner.

"I want you to rest now, Seven. Try and sleep for the moment, you will need to regenerate at some point. I will monitor you once every hour." The Doctor told her. "The Commander has asked to stay with you for the time being. Is that alright with you?"

A small smile formed on Seven's lips as her eyes began to close, she could no longer fight her tiredness. "Yes, I would like that."

Chakotay exchanged glances with the Doctor and Tom, all three of them feeling the tension of the last few fraught hours seep from their minds as they watched their patient sleep.

**A/N-Thanks for reading! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Shining Star**

Disclaimer: all characters belong to their respective owners. I am just having fun playing with them.

_**A/N-I would like to give a big thank you to my wonderful beta SCIFIROMANCE whose wonderful encouragement inspires me to write! **_

_**Nikki :)**_

**Part Six**

Chakotay stood outside the Captains ready room and braced himself. He drew his shoulders back and took a deep breath before ordering the doors to open. He saw Kathryn Janeway sitting behind her desk, several Padds in her hands. She wore a frown and when he entered she barely glanced up at him.

"How is our patient today?" She asked neutrally.

"Hiding." Chakotay informed her; irritated that she wouldn't even look up at him.

His comment forced her to do so and that is when he saw the worry under the harsh, capable exterior. She immediately smoothed her features into the more familiar bland expression. "Hiding? Where?"

"In Astrometrics," Chakotay informed her as he stepped closer to her desk.

The Captain looked confused. "How is that hiding, Chakotay? Seven lives there, her regeneration unit is..."

"It's a soulless cargo bay. She needs somewhere peaceful to recuperate and that is all we offer her after all the years of dutiful service she has put in on Voyager." Chakotay snapped as he leaned forward and rested his hands on the desk.

Janeway was taken aback by his confrontational attitude. She placed her Padds carefully down on the desk and stood up, not liking the fact that he was towering over her intimidatingly. Standing up made her feel better; she began to pace back and forth. "Seven's quarter's have never bothered you before Commander." She retorted.

Chakotay stood back up and put his arms by his sides, counting in his head to keep calm. "You are absolutely right and I am ashamed of that fact. But things are different now..."

"Obviously." Janeway interjected, an unreadable expression in her dark eyes.

Chakotay stiffened. "If you are referring to my growing friendship with Seven then yes. We have become very close and I plan to take our relationship to the next level, if she is willing." He laid all his cards out on the table, sick of hiding how he really felt.

"I see." Captain Janeway studied him, there was a hint of sarcasm in her tone which he did not like. "You understand that Seven struggles with human interactions. I am not sure that she is at the right place in her life to pursue a romantic relationship with anyone, let alone someone in such a position of authority as yourself."

Chakotay stared back at her. "What has my position got to do with anything? I don't think you understand just what Seven has been through. The experience has left her fragile and if anything made her more aware of her humanity."

"Maybe to you, Commander. Are you sure she isn't just putting on an act to please you? That is what Seven does, she researches everything thoroughly. I can imagine she has done just that in order to prepare herself on the best way to act around you." Janeway stated bluntly.

Chakotay shook his head in irritation. "Perhaps it is you who needs to look beneath the Borg exterior and see the woman beneath. I think it is more likely that she acts around you, trying to conform to what you expect her to be. Nearly dying has change her perspective on things and that is why she is hiding. She is scared that if you see the real her that she will disappoint and you know Seven,she cannot abide failure."

His insightful words stopped Janeway in her tracks. "You really think she is that afraid to let her human emotions out around me because I expect her to act a certain way?"

Chakotay ran a hand through his thick black hair as he looked at her; she seemed stunned. "Yes, if you want me to be honest. I think that is why you have never allowed Seven to be fully integrated into the crew; giving her some quarters would seem like you actually believe that she has a human heart that beats with emotion just like the rest of us." He declared passionately. "I will bid you goodnight Captain." He bowed his head quickly before leaving.

Captain Janeway stared after him, completely flabbergasted by his insight into Seven's psyche. She took a moment to collect herself before she hit her comm-badge. "Computer locate Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine is in Astrometrics." Came the band reply.

Kathryn squared her shoulders. Chakotay's words had hit home and she wanted to see and talk to Seven herself. With quick strides she left the ready room and headed for Astrometrics.

XXXXXX

Seven was leaning over the console, her fingers frozen. She stared at the hand which was encased in metal, a constant reminder of her Borg heritage. She had been trying to return to her normal routine, despite Chakotay's and the Doctors protests. She felt strong physically, there was nothing impairing her from carrying out her duty in that regard, but mentally she was far from fine. Her hand shook before her eyes and she quickly held it in her human hand, the cool metal digging into her skin as she wrapped her fingers around it.

"I must be strong." She mumbled to herself as she closed her eyes and tried to stop her body shaking. This was unacceptable. The last thing she wanted to do was have to go to the Doctor with symptoms of what was obviously a panic attack.

But nothing was that easy, her teeth clenched together as a mental image of the young Annika formed in her mind. She was huddled on the floor, vivid blue eyes wide with fear as she watched the Borg approach her like automatons. They were coming to assimilate her. Seven's heart pumped louder in her chest and she gasped for breath as she felt everything the young Annika felt. Her near death experience had opened a flood gate of emotions she wasn't equipped to deal with. Her legs gave way and she slumped to the floor just as the doors to Astrometrics swept open and the Captain strode in. Seven, who was so lost in her memories, didn't recognise Janeway and she let out a scream before her body began to shut down; her emotional fail safe no longer there to control the flood of human emotions.

XXXXXX

The next thing she was aware of was the Doctor hovering above her as he ran a tri-corder over her inert body. She blinked rapidly as the overhead lights of sickbay seared her vision. "What happened?" Her voice sounded thick to her ears.

The EMH gazed at her in concern. "You experienced a panic attack, Seven." He informed her gently. "The Captain found you slumped on the floor of Astrometrics."

Seven shut her eyes in dismay. She was so mortified. She heard movement to her right and a cool hand touched her gently on the shoulder. "Seven, open your eyes." The husky tones of the Captain sounded gentler than normal.

Swallowing down the knot in her throat, Seven opened her eyes to see a concerned and contrite looking Janeway looking down at her as she lay on the bio-bed. "I owe you an apology, Seven."

Seven tried to sit up but Janeway's hold on her shoulder kept her immobile. "Apology Captain?" She faltered. "I am the one who malfunctioned while on duty."

The Captain gave her a tight smile. "No you did not malfunction, Seven. Chakotay came to see me today and he quite rightly gave me a dressing down for the way I have been treating you."

Seven blinked in confusion. "The Commander?"

"Yes. He pointed out some very important issues that I have, not on purpose you understand, but have overlooked in the way that I have treated you of late." Seven could tell by the Captain's face that this admission was hard for her; she remained silent as Janeway continued. "I admit that I do take you for granted Seven, you are one of my most valued crew members. I rely on your punctuality, advice, calmness under pressure and most of all your ability to cut right to the heart of the matter and that is the most human trait of them all."

Seven gasped at the reference to her humanity, something wet was running down her face and when she touched her cheek her fingers came away damp. She had been crying the whole time that the Captain was speaking and had been totally unaware of that fact. The Doctor seemed attuned to her thoughts. He gave her a kind smile. "You need to get used to these unexpected displays of emotion, Seven. Now that your fail safe is gone you will experience the full range of human emotions from tears to a hearty belly laugh and...love"

The Captain released her shoulder and stood up, obviously uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. "Yes well...you will learn in your own time, Seven. I have a proposition to put to you...no I rephrase that it is an order."

Seven's head was whirling. "Yes Captain?" She faltered.

"The Qomar have been in contact and are eager to reschedule the concert. I have agreed that it can go ahead but I have one stipulation. I want you to sing alongside the Doctor as his special guest." Janeway informed her.

A gasp left Seven's lips. "Captain I cannot. I have not the repertoire or the experience to sing in front of a live audience. What about my duties in Astrometrics? There is so much to do I..."

The Captain gave her a tired smile. "Harry will cover you in Astrometrics for the next few days. This will give you a chance to rest. After all you will be kept busy decorating your new quarters. I bid you goodnight." Janeway swept out of sickbay quickly before either Seven or the Doctor could see her wipe away a tear of her own.

XXXXXX

Seven tentatively entered the new quarters that had been assigned to her. As the doors swept open she was surprised to see Chakotay standing in the middle of the bare room, his hands behind his back as he looked around. When he heard her enter he turned and gave her a gentle smile. "What do you think?"

"I think," Seven hesitated. A flood of unexpected emotion washed over her and she floundered. This was all so hard to get used to. She tried to call on her normally stoic exterior but it failed her, especially with the source of her turbulent emotions standing so close.

Chakotay wandered over to her side and gently took her hand in his own. "I think this is all rather overwhelming. Don't worry Seven, you have all the time you need to decorate it to your impeccable standards."

A frown marred Seven's forehead as she peered around at the empty room. "But I don't know how, Commander."

She sounded so lost that it tore at Chakotay's heart. She had been struggling ever since she had been released from sickbay the first time. As was her nature she had thrown herself back into work without a thought to how her life had changed irrevocably now that the emotional fail safe was gone. He took her gently by the shoulders and turned her to face him, her vivid blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Seven, we are all here to help. I am not much of a decorator but Neelix I am certain will be eager to assist."

A smile formed on Seven's full lips at the mention of the exuberant Talaxian. "Yes. Do you think he would mind offering me some advice?"

"Not at all. Now I think we are both due something to eat. Would you care to join me for some dinner in the mess hall?" He held out his arm for her to take.

Seven took it hesitantly. "Commander..."

"Call me Chakotay when we are off duty, Seven." He reminded her.

"Chakotay, would you mind if we had a quiet dinner here. I am not ready to face everyone just yet." She hung her head. It was hard for her to admit such weakness.

"Of course not. I'm sorry Seven that was thoughtless of me." He apologised.

Seven gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you." She said simply, that one small word saying so much more than she could ever tell him.

XXXXXX

The Doctor practised his voice exercises and was immensely pleased with the results. He had been concerned that he had lost his edge what with all the drama that had been going on with Seven. He was pleased for his protégé that she would be able to showcase her own talent. It was time the others aboard Voyager got to see the true Seven, the one that she kept hidden from the world. He ordered the computer to bring up a list of songs that he had chosen for the concert and he happily began to sing to the empty room; his head filled with an invisible audience praising his talents as he carried on with his work.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_

_**Nikki :)**_


End file.
